The End Of A School Year... An Invitation For A Little Celebration

“You are off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way!” Dr. Seuss

Ever since my girls started preschool - which seems like years and years ago now- at the end of every school year I have planned something special for them to celebrate their accomplishments. Last week I was sharing my end of school year tradition with a friend who has young children and her eyes lit up when she was hearing the story and said she loved the idea and would probably try to do it for her children at the end of this school year, so I thought, why not share my “end of school year” tradition with everyone else. ❤

Every school year no matter what grade our children are in, comes packed with all sorts of experiences, emotions, ups and downs, successes, some failures, some falling down and some getting back up. No one has a guarantee at the beginning of the school year for a 100% successful experience in every way. As parents, we hope that’s the case, that our children will go through life and school experiencing nothing but positivity and we try our best to support them in everything they do and go through in life but reality is, a lot happens in those approximate 180 days they spend at school and they will most likely all have their share of joys and disappointments.

I LOVE celebrating life! I love celebrating milestones big and small and the end of a school year is a perfect opportunity to do just that. I know, I know… everyone has to go to school, everyone has to go through it, but life is a little sweeter and more pleasant when celebrated and what better way to do that than supporting our children.

How do I celebrate these special “ordinary” milestones?

I make signs, I get a little present for them (it doesn’t have to be anything expensive, that’s not the point), a cupcake, a candy bar, or a little trinket from the dollar store and then my favorite part, I write them a love letter. A letter of affirmation celebrating their accomplishments, telling them how PROUD I am of who they are, how proud I am of how they handled situations in that particular school year and how much I believe in them and their capacity to be and become the best version of themselves as they get older. Of course, every year has been different, and the deepness of the message in every letter has increased as they have grown and matured, but the message is always the same… you are special, you make me proud and you are deeply LOVED!

It makes me absolutely giddy putting it all together and even finding the “perfect” spot in the house for the reveal. I make it a point to not be in the same room when they discover it, it’s their moment, I want them to enjoy it and savor it in their own way. I love hearing the squealing if I happen to be at home when they walk in on their last day of school, I love their running back to me and hugging me and sharing their love and telling me they love me back and they appreciate everything we do for them. Those are the moments I treasure the most in life.

Another school year has come to an end at our home. We learned a lot as a family, we savored small victories, supported each other and walked together through it all hand in hand. Now, we are ready for a few well deserved weeks of vacation time until the new school year starts in the Fall.

Happy Summer to you all, enjoy this time off with your children… they DO grow up in a blink of an eye! ❤